This invention relates to building construction and more particularly to a building wall construction having an interior frame work and exterior cladding.
Particularly in colder climates, it has been a common building technique for many years to construct an interior support frame, with an exterior wall cladding or shell fixed to the exterior side of the frame and an interior wall fixed to the interior side of the frame. Many different materials have been used for the exterior wall cladding, including brick veneer, aluminum siding, vinyl siding, wood siding, stucco, concrete, glass, metal, etc. Such constructions may be made with or without insulating materials.
The frame is typically made of wood or steel and frames made of steel studs and beams are now becoming more commonplace even for home construction. It is also commonplace to use metal connectors for connecting the exterior wall cladding to the frame and these may be in the form of screws, bolts, clips, protruding lugs, etc. Particularly when a steel frame is used, when there is a difference between exterior and interior temperatures, there tends to be condensation and subsequent corrosion along the connector from the cold exterior cladding to the warm interior wall cavity of the building. Even when rigid thermal insulation is used between the exterior cladding and the structural frame, this problem of condensation and corrosion may continue through the insulation along the structural connector.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermally non-conducting connection between the exterior cladding and the interior frame of the building wall to thereby break the bridge between the different temperature areas and also to remove any interior condensation and collected rain water.